Studying Doctrine

The word “doctrine” scares people.

Honestly, when people think of church, or Christianity, or any types of religious matters (in relation to other religions), the first thing that usually comes into mind is something to do with doctrine.  “Oh man, I don’t wanna go there because they have strict rules!” or “Those people believe in some weird stuff!”  This presents a problem when we try to teach biblical matters and people say, “Well, I don’t know if I agree with that.”

Look it up.

Easy solution.  If your pastor, or just one that you’ve heard because you don’t have a church home, says something that seems out of line to you, look it up.  Study what he said.  Read the Scripture references he gives.  Read it in its context.  You may find that he’s out of line, but often what happens is no matter which side is right we learn.  God teaches at that time so we can learn His truth.  If we just pray and ask God for the truth, He will reveal it.

He will reveal the Truth!

The good ol’ capital T Truth!  My favorite.  It represents God’s Truth, which is revealed in John 14:6 when Jesus said “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  No one comes to the Father except through Me.”  Plain and simple.  Jesus told us that He’s the Truth, so God, when He reveals to us His Truth, reveals the validity of Jesus Christ as the Word who became flesh!  Praise be to God for this divine intervention in our lives!  He’s making sure that it’s crystal-clear who we should worship.  The fact that God reveals His Truth so strongly throughout the Bible just emphasizes one key point: whatever the Bible says goes!  If God can bring out His Truth from reading the Bible, He can teach us everything we need to know about life.  We just need to pray and seek.  Jesus told us in the Sermon on the Mount to “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.” (Matthew 6:32)

You may be asking, what does this have to do with doctrine?

Honestly, I’m just trying to make it known that in order for people to understand why denominations believe what they do, or why a pastor says what he does, we need to read the Scriptures they tell us are evidence of what they believe and see how correct they are.  If they are correct, then they’ve conveyed God’s Truth.  It’s not all about them. If they’re wrong, then you need to consider that they are not perfect, so it could have been a simple misquote.  If it continues, prayerfully consider what the Lord would have you do regarding that church.

Read your Bible, and listen to God’s Truth.

Your Brother in Christ,

Phillip